Tell Me You Remember. (Niall Horan)

2.

A/N: Chapter 2 for youuu! I hope you like it :) Don't forget to comment or fan or vote or whatever it is that you want to do! I love hearing feedback! -N

"Hannah, Jax, I'm home!" I called when the door shut behind me. Jax came hobbling down the stairs as fast as his little legs could take him and straight into my arms. 

"How's my little man?" I laughed, hoisting him up and carrying him to the kitchen with me.

"I drew picture!" he exclaimed with a toothless smile. 

"I can't wait to see it," I told him, setting him down on one of the kitchen chairs. "Hannah?" I called. "What do you want for dinner? I'm cooking."

My younger sister came into the kitchen, looking like she'd been hit by a bus. "Never...ever...let him 'draw' you a picture again," she blew a strand of her paint covered hair out of her eyes. All of her clothes were covered in it. I groaned, laughing. "Sorry, Han," I said, patting her shoulder. She waved me off. "It's alright. I'm going to have a shower," she chimed as she bounded back upstairs.

Jax, who had since crawled down off the chair I had sat him in, was busy taking every pot and pan out of the cabinet when I found him. "J, no, you know I don't like when you do that," I sighed, bending down to put them away. I carried him into the sitting room, plopped him down in front of the TV, and turned on the cartoon channel. "Will you sit here and be a good boy while I make your dinner?" He didn't respond; he was already engrossed in the television show. Sometimes, I felt sorry for him, being in a house of all girls. He needed a father. I was just putting the last pot away when there was a knock on the door. Weird, I thought. Maybe it was Em. But she hasn't called...

When I opened the door, my mouth fell open in shock. "What the hell are you doing here?"

There he stood, his electric blue eyes staring back at me, scratching the back of his blonde head. "Uh, Tilly says she wanted to bring this round?" he held up a bag. "So I said I'd do it for her," he finished, holding it out for me to take. "Thanks," I mumbled, smiling a little out of courtesy. 

He smiled back. "So because I did you a favour, can I know your name?"

I avoided his question, and decided to be courteous. "Are you hungry?"

He nodded. "Haven't eaten since morning." I sighed, running a hand through my hair, looking at him. "Come in." I backed up from the door as I led the strange boy into my house. He looked awkward and more like a giant in my tiny living room. He surveyed the space silently, before asking the obvious question. "So, where are your parents?"

I used the same excuse I'd been using for the past year. "They're off on business in the UK. They'll be back in a couple weeks," I explained. Usually, people would just nod and move on. This kid was clearly not one of these people. "Really? They left you all alone?"

I narrowed my eyes. "What, do you think I'm not responsible enough?"

"N-no! That's not what I...you know what, I'll stop talking. Everything I say pisses you off," he laughed humourlessly, pulling at the ends of his hair. And that's when I saw real disappointment in those ocean eyes. I sighed, stepping a bit closer to him. "Hey, I'm sorry. I don't mean to snap, I'm just..." I trailed off as I heard a screech from the other room. "Jax?" I left the boy to find Jax wailing at the top of his lungs for no apparent reason. "What's wrong, love? I'm here, Shh," I held him in my arms, bouncing him up and down to try and get him to stop crying. I took him back into the living room where the blonde boy sat. "Little brother?"

"That obvious?" I laughed. "Jaxie, it's okay, shh."

He continued to cry, refusing to show me what was the matter. That's when this stranger stood up, and held his arms out to me. "Can I help?"

Exasperated by his screams, I gave in, handing my brother over. I watched as Jax immediately quelled, and began to laugh as he bounced in the older boy's arms. I was beyond impressed. "You have little ones at home?" I asked, still eyeing them.

He shook his head. "Nah, I just love 'em. My mum ran a daycare when I was just a little chap," he explained with a coo at Jax. I just nodded, pleased that Jax had stopped crying. "What's his name?" he asked me.

"Jax," I said softly. "He's two."

Jax looked over at me and pointed to his stomach. "We eat?"

Just then, Hannah emerged, clean and startled when she noticed the scene in front of her. "Uh, hi. Who are you?" The boy looked warily at me before continuing. "My name is Niall, Niall Horan. Tilly wanted me to drop these things off for your sister. Who are you?" so, his name was Niall. Niall; that's a good name. Wait, what was I thinking? "I'm Hannah, Hannah Scottsburrough," she introduced herself. "Is he staying for supper, Winnie?"

I cringed, looking over at Niall, who was now grinning like an idiot. "What?" I grumbled.

"I don't know, am I, Winnie Scottsburrough?" he stressed my name, smirking.

And that was that.

"This is so good," Niall moaned, shoving his face with even more food. "Is there any more?" Hannah and I were staring at him in mild disgust as we cleaned our dishes, but I nodded, handing him the rest of the pasta. He devoured that as well. "I guess we won't have anything left over. I like him though," Hannah muttered. I laughed, leaning over. "He told me he hadn't eaten since the morning, but Jesus, the lad can eat," I whispered. She giggled, hoisting Jax further up on her hip. "I'll go put him to bed. Thanks for cooking," she said, kissing my cheek. "Goodnight," I called. 

Niall was still stuffing his gob when I turned around to look at him. "Good to meet you!" he mumbled around the food in his mouth to Hannah. She just laughed and walked out, leaving me alone with him. It was silent; all I heard for a minute was loud chewing from the blonde boy across from me. When the plate in front of him was completely bare of all food scraps, I took it to be washed. He still hadn't spoken, and I felt uncomfortable as I scrubbed the dish and put it on the drying rack. "So, Niall Horan," I stressed his name the same as he did mine, "What brings you to Mullingar?"

He looked up from his hands at me, with a small smile. "I've lived here all my life, actually; just been gone awhile," I saw a hint of something flash across his eyes, but in a second, he was back to his always-smiling self. "What about yourself?"

"Born and raised," I stated proudly. "It's strange we haven't seen each other until now..."

He laughed, a loud, distinctive laugh that seemed to shake his entire body to the core. It was a little weird sounding, but it was strangely cute. I mean, happy; not cute. "What's so funny?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips. Once he'd calmed down some, he shook his head. "It's nothing. I just...are you sure you don't know who I am?"

I gave him a look of confusion and ignored his question, walking into the other room and finally turning off the television. When I turned around, Niall was standing there, looking at me oddly. It was like he was studying me, the way he watched my every move as I sat down. There was that flash of emotion I couldn't place again across his face. "What are you gawking at, mate?"

"You look..." he trailed off, biting his lip. I waited for him to continue explaining himself, my eyes narrowed. "Stressed," he finished. "Like you've got the whole weight of the world on your shoulders. You talk as if nothing's the matter, but I can see...you're lonely," He paused to point a finger at my furrowed brow. "And, if you keep doing that, your pretty face will be wrinkled."

How this complete stranger could read me so well, I had no idea, but he was so incredibly right. "What makes you think you know me?" I whispered.

"Because I've been where you are before," he answered simply. He gave a short, humourless laugh. "You know, people like you and me should stick together," he explained. "I knew that from the moment I first saw you," He stopped, his eyes piercing mine. "I'd like to help you, if that's alright."

"And what if I don't want any help?" But I did; I needed it more than anything in the world.

"I'm insisting."

I looked at him warily. "You're sure you want to?"

"Sure as I'll ever be," he laughed. "As long as you don't ask loads of stupid questions, like you're doing now."

"Well then, no more stupid questions. Welcome to my train wreck of a life, Niall Horan."